The Douglas Family | Second family photoshoot

[minicoop1985]

Hey guys. This is the result of my second family photoshoot. I'm normally doing products and commercial junk, so this is a bit out of my comfort zone. How did I do here? I very much appreciate your feedback.

1.
Debbie Jesse-5 by longm1985, on Flickr

2.
Debbie Jesse-4 by longm1985, on Flickr

3.
Debbie Jesse-3 by longm1985, on Flickr

4.
Debbie Jesse-1 by longm1985, on Flickr

 

[e.rose]

1. Can I ask why you chose to go with this setting for this image?

As far as my feelings about it go is that it was not a good choice. You've got the hydrant and whatever else that is off to the side adding nothing but distraction to the photo. The brush isn't pretty, and neither are the power lines, fencing or buildings in the far distance.

2. I get that you probably liked the textures for this one, but I would have moved them further away from, or cloned out, the pole. Also their posing isn't very cohesive or "family portraity." Everyone is off doing their own thing, and the baby's face is covered by her coat.

3. This is better as far as posing/grouping is concerned, but that chair is doing nothing to add to the image. You also needed to crop a little tighter (too much head room and room off to the left) and I would have keep trying to pull a better expression out of the kid. The light is also a little too harsh and "sidey" on this one. One side of their faces is bright and the other is dark, with some weird shadow play happening on the faces as a result.

4. This one is the best one out of the 4 of them. I'm not a fan of high angles like that, but that's my personal preference. Others may disagree.

Overall your exposure seems good. It seemed like a super cold day (when you're doing sessions like this, it's important to have things like hand-warmers, hot drinks, etc. to help keep everyone warm), and it looks like you shot a little earlier in the day than might have been ideal. Shooting a bit later still, with the sun a little lower and dimmer might have helped a lot of the squinting happening in these images.

 

[minicoop1985]

Thanks for the detailed feedback, E. Rose! Yeah, it was cold and shot during the harshest part of the day (my bad). As for the location for #1, they chose it, so I rolled with that and did it. I sorta like the juxtaposition of the messy scene with the clean family, but I see your point.

 

[e.rose]

Thanks for the detailed feedback, E. Rose! Yeah, it was cold and shot during the harshest part of the day (my bad). As for the location for #1, they chose it, so I rolled with that and did it. I sorta like the juxtaposition of the messy scene with the clean family, but I see your point.

If you're going for juxtaposition it needs to be more obvious. This looks more like what you described... they picked it... and you went with it. And as the photographer, if they pick a spot that isn't ideal, it's your job to explain to them that it isn't and suggest somewhere else that is.

Keep on practicing though!

Families are tough. *I* don't do a whole lot of family work, because once you get more than one person in front of my camera at the same time, it gets tricky, haha.

 

[tirediron]

Rose nailed it...

 

[The_Traveler]

I would get them bigger in the frame and darken the background so that the background is really grungy dark.
My guess is that's what they are envisioning.

Like this or even more extreme.

 

[minicoop1985]

I've got another family lined up for next weekend. Kids are a bit older and weather should be a bit better, so that might just go better overall. I'll take your advice into account and do better next time. Thanks for the feedback, guys.

 

[minicoop1985]

Lew: I like that crop a lot, actually.

 

[The_Traveler]

Each of these improve when they are larger in the frame because 1) the attention doesn't drain away into the 'other stuff' ans 2) they each have interesting expressions and when they are larger the expressions are more obvious.

Leave enough of the surroundings so that the figures don't looks squashed and there is enough so the viewers can get an idea of where they are.
Nothing that I cropped off was important.

 

[bribrius]

these are great. it is like the robinsons family day out in detoilet...

what happens when you send a asbstract grunge photographer to photograph middle class americana.

this made my day. thanks. These aren't portrait shots, closer to making it to a odd art exhibit. Especially the one with her sitting the the metal folding chair. freakn love that. see the look on that kids face? The photo might make a great dark bw.

i am not messing with you either.. I like these. They almost have a statement to them. Much better than the run of the mill family photos sessions we usually see. i almost spit my drink out my nose when i opened it.

 

[minicoop1985]

Lew: Those crops are perfect. Absolutely perfect. In fact, I opened up Lightroom and cropped them like that myself.

Bribrius: Thanks.

 

[bribrius]

Go mike lamb, have one of the kids holding a neatly dressed headless doll, so it is subtle. shoot dark. And more weird stuff in the background, have them dress even nicer and more suburbia. Dude , you could have a field day with this . Just looking at these my mind is racing with ideas.

 

[minicoop1985]

LOL. I love Mike Lamb's oddball stuff. It's oddly appealing.

You know, I could have done worse. This weekend will be another opportunity to get it right.

 

[minicoop1985]

The more I look at this, the more the lighting sucks. Rembrandt lighting has its place, but here it's not my favorite. I'd prefer a short lighting look, or just blast them evenly in the shade. I do, however, feel that this is an improvement on the existing image. What do you guys think?

Debbie Jesse-1-2 by longm1985, on Flickr